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Linking
15-213/18-213/15-513: Introduction to Computer Systems 14th Lecture, July 1, 2020
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition 1
Carnegie Mellon
Today
Linking
▪ Motivation
▪ What it does
▪ How it works
▪ Dynamic linking
Case study: Library interpositioning
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Example C Program
int sum(int *a, int n);
int array[2] = {1, 2};
int main(int argc, char** argv) {
int val = sum(array, 2);
return val; }
main.c
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition 3
int sum(int *a, int n)
{
int i, s = 0;
for (i = 0; i < n; i++) { s += a[i];
}
return s; }
sum.c
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Linking
Programs are translated and linked using a compiler driver: ▪ linux> gcc -Og -o prog main.c sum.c
▪ linux> ./prog
main.c
sum.c
Source files
Translators (cpp, cc1, as)
Translators (cpp, cc1, as)
main.o
Linker (ld)
prog
sum.o
Separately compiled relocatable object files
Fully linked executable object file (contains code and data for all functions defined in main.c and sum.c)
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Why Linkers?
Reason 1: Modularity
▪ Program can be written as a collection of smaller source files, rather than one monolithic mass.
▪ Can build libraries of common functions (more on this later) ▪ e.g., Math library, standard C library
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Why Linkers? (cont)
Reason 2: Efficiency
▪ Time: Separate compilation
▪ Change one source file, compile, and then relink. ▪ No need to recompile other source files.
▪ Can compile multiple files concurrently.
▪ Space: Libraries
▪ Common functions can be aggregated into a single file… ▪ Option 1: Static Linking
– Executable files and running memory images contain only the library code they actually use
▪ Option 2: Dynamic linking
– Executable files contain no library code
– During execution, single copy of library code can be shared across all executing processes
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What Do Linkers Do? Step 1: Symbol resolution
▪ Programs define and reference symbols (global variables and functions):
▪ void swap() {…} ▪ swap();
▪ int *xp = &x;
/* define symbol swap */
/* reference symbol swap */
/* define symbol xp, reference x */
▪ Symbol definitions are stored in object file (by assembler) in symbol table. ▪ Symbol table is an array of entries
▪ Each entry includes name, size, and location of symbol.
▪ During symbol resolution step, the linker associates each symbol reference with exactly one symbol definition.
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Symbols in Example C Program
Definitions
int sum(int *a, int n);
int array[2] = {1, 2};
int main(int argc, char** argv) {
int val = sum(array, 2);
return val; }
main.c
Reference
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition 8
int sum(int *a, int n)
{
int i, s = 0;
for (i = 0; i < n; i++) { s += a[i];
}
return s; }
sum.c
Carnegie Mellon
What Do Linkers Do? (cont’d) Step 2: Relocation
▪ Merges separate code and data sections into single sections
▪ Relocates symbols from their relative locations in the .o files to
their final absolute memory locations in the executable.
▪ Updates all references to these symbols to reflect their new positions.
Let’s look at these two steps in more detail....
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Three Kinds of Object Files (Modules) Relocatable object file (.o file)
▪ Contains code and data in a form that can be combined with other relocatable object files to form executable object file.
▪ Each .o file is produced from exactly one source (.c) file Executable object file (a.out file)
▪ Contains code and data in a form that can be copied directly into memory and then executed.
Shared object file (.so file)
▪ Special type of relocatable object file that can be loaded into
memory and linked dynamically, at either load time or run-time. ▪ Called Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs) by Windows
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Executable and Linkable Format (ELF) Standard binary format for object files
One unified format for
▪ Relocatable object files (.o),
▪ Executable object files (a.out) ▪ Shared object files (.so)
Generic name: ELF binaries
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ELF Object File Format Elfheader
▪ Word size, byte ordering, file type (.o, exec, .so), machine type, etc.
Segmentheadertable
▪ Page size, virtual address memory segments
(sections), segment sizes.
.textsection ▪ Code
.rodata section
▪ Read only data: jump tables, string constants, ...
.datasection
▪ Initialized global variables
.bsssection
▪ Uninitialized global variables ▪ “Block Started by Symbol”
▪ “Better Save Space”
0
ELF header
Segment header table (required for executables)
.text section
.rodata section
.data section
.bss section
.symtab section
.rel.txt section
.rel.data section
.debug section
Section header table
▪ Has section header but occupies no space
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ELF Object File Format (cont.)
.symtabsection ▪ Symbol table
▪ Procedure and static variable names ▪ Section names and locations
.rel.textsection
▪ Relocation info for .text section
▪ Addresses of instructions that will need to be modified in the executable
▪ Instructions for modifying
.rel.datasection
▪ Relocation info for .data section
▪ Addresses of pointer data that will need to be modified in the merged executable
.debugsection
▪ Info for symbolic debugging (gcc -g)
Section header table
▪ Offsets and sizes of each section
0
ELF header
Segment header table (required for executables)
.text section
.rodata section
.data section
.bss section
.symtab section
.rel.txt section
.rel.data section
.debug section
Section header table
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Linker Symbols
Global symbols
▪ Symbols defined by module m that can be referenced by other modules. ▪ e.g., non-static C functions and non-static global variables.
External symbols
▪ Global symbols that are referenced by module m but defined by some
other module.
Local symbols
▪ Symbols that are defined and referenced exclusively by module m.
▪ e.g, C functions and global variables defined with the static attribute. ▪ Local linker symbols are not local program variables
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Step 1: Symbol Resolution
...that’s defined here
Referencing a global...
int sum(int *a, int n); int array[2] = {1, 2};
int main(int argc,char **argv)
{
int val = sum(array, 2); return val;
}
main.c
int sum(int *a, int n)
{
}
sum.c
int i, s = 0;
for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
s += a[i];
}
return s;
Defining a global
Referencing a global...
...that’s defined here
Linker knows nothing of i or s
Linker knows nothing of val
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Symbol Identification
Which of the following names will be in the symbol
table of symbols.o? symbols.c:
Names:
• incr • foo • a
• argc • argv • b
• main
• printf • "O%thde\rns?"
Can find this with readelf:
linux> readelf –s symbols.o
int incr = 1;
static int foo(int a) {
int b = a + incr;
return b; }
int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
printf(“%d\n”, foo(5));
return 0; }
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Local Symbols
Local non-static C variables vs. local static C variables ▪ Local non-static C variables: stored on the stack
▪ Local static C variables: stored in either .bss or .data
static int x = 15;
int f() {
static int x = 17; return x++;
}
int g() {
static int x = 19;
return x += 14;
}
int h() {
return x += 27;
}
Compiler allocates space in .data for each definition of x
Creates local symbols in the symbol table with unique names, e.g., x, x.1721 and x.1724.
static-local.c
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How Linker Resolves Duplicate Symbol Definitions
Program symbols are either strong or weak ▪ Strong: procedures and initialized globals
▪ Weak: uninitialized globals
▪ Or ones declared with specifier extern
strong weak
p1.c
p2.c
int foo=5;
p1() { }
int foo;
p2() { }
strong
strong
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Linker’s Symbol Rules
Rule 1: Multiple strong symbols are not allowed ▪ Each item can be defined only once
▪ Otherwise: Linker error
Rule 2: Given a strong symbol and multiple weak symbols, choose the strong symbol
▪ References to the weak symbol resolve to the strong symbol
Rule 3: If there are multiple weak symbols, pick an arbitrary one
▪ Can override this with gcc –fno-common
Puzzles on the next slide
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Linker Puzzles
p1() {}
Link time error: two strong symbols (p1)
int x; p1() {}
int x; p1() {}
int x; p2() {}
References to x will refer to the same uninitialized int. Is this what you really want?
int x;
int y;
p1() {}
double x;
p2() {}
Writes to x in p2 might overwrite y! Evil!
int x=7; int y=5; p1() {}
double x; p2() {}
Writes to x in p2 might overwrite y! Nasty!
References to x will refer to the same initialized variable.
Important: Linker does not do type checking.
int x=7;
p1() {}
int x; p2() {}
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Type Mismatch Example
long int x; /* Weak symbol */
int main(int argc,
char *argv[]) {
printf(“%ld\n”, x);
return 0; }
mismatch-main.c
/* Global strong symbol */
/* Global strong symbol */
double x = 3.14;
double x = 3.14;
mismatch-variable.c
Compiles without any errors or warnings What gets printed?
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Global Variables Avoid if you can
Otherwise
▪ Use static if you can
▪ Initialize if you define a global variable
▪ Use extern if you reference an external global variable
▪ Treated as weak symbol
▪ But also causes linker error if not defined in some file
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Use of extern in .h Files (#1)
c1.c
#include “global.h”
int f() {
return g+1;
}
c2.c
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global.h
extern int g;
int f();
#include
#include “global.h”
int g = 0;
int main(int argc, char argv[]) { int t = f();
printf(“Calling f yields %d\n”, t); return 0;
}
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Linking Example
int sum(int *a, int n); int array[2] = {1, 2};
int main(int argc,char **argv)
{
int val = sum(array, 2); return val;
}
main.c
int sum(int *a, int n)
{
}
sum.c
int i, s = 0;
for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
s += a[i];
}
return s;
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Step 2: Relocation
Relocatable Object Files
Executable Object File
System code
System data
.text .data
0
Headers
System code
main()
sum()
More system code
System data
int array[2]={1,2}
.symtab
.debug
main.o
.text
main()
int array[2]={1,2}
sum.o
sum() .text
.data
.text .data
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Relocation Entries
int array[2] = {1, 2};
int main(int argc, char**
argv)
{
int val = sum(array, 2); return val;
}
main.c
0000000000000000
0: 48 83 ec 08
sub $0x8,%rsp
mov $0x2,%esi
mov $0x0,%edi # %edi = &array
a: R_X86_64_32 array # Relocation entry
callq 13
f: R_X86_64_PC32 sum-0x4 # Relocation entry
4: be 9: bf
e: e8
13: 48 17: c3
02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00
83 c4 08
add $0x8,%rsp retq
main.o
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition Source: objdump –r –d main.o 27
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Relocated .text section
callq instruction uses PC-relative addressing for sum():
0x4004e8 = 0x4004e3 + 0x5
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition Source: objdump -d prog 28
00000000004004d0
sub $0x8,%rsp
mov $0x2,%esi
mov $0x601018,%edi # %edi = &array
4004de: e8 05 00 00 4004e3: 48 83 c4 08 4004e7: c3
00000000004004e8
4004e8: b8 00 4004ed: ba 00 4004f2: eb 09 4004f4: 48 63 4004f7: 03 04 4004fa: 83 c2 01 4004fd: 39 f2 4004ff: 7c f3 400501: f3 c3
00
00 00
callq 4004e8
add $0x8,%rsp
retq
# sum()
00 00 00 00
ca 8f
mov $0x0,%eax
mov $0x0,%edx
jmp 4004fd
add (%rdi,%rcx,4),%eax add $0x1,%edx
cmp %esi,%edx
jl 4004f4
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Loading Executable Object Files
Memory invisible to user code
%rsp
(stack pointer)
Kernel virtual memory
User stack (created at runtime)
Memory-mapped region for shared libraries
Run-time heap (created by malloc)
Read/write data segment (.data, .bss)
Read-only code segment (.init, .text, .rodata)
Unused
Executable Object File
0
ELF header
Program header table (required for executables)
.init section
.text section
.rodata section
.data section
.bss section
.symtab
.debug
.line
.strtab
Section header table (required for relocatables)
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0x400000
brk
Loaded from
the executable file
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Quiz Time!
Check out:
https://canvas.cmu.edu/courses/16836
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Libraries: Packaging a Set of Functions
How to package functions commonly used by programmers?
▪ Math, I/O, memory management, string manipulation, etc.
Awkward, given the linker framework so far: ▪ Option 1: Put all functions into a single source file
▪ Programmers link big object file into their programs
▪ Space and time inefficient
▪ Option 2: Put each function in a separate source file
▪ Programmers explicitly link appropriate binaries into their programs
▪ More efficient, but burdensome on the programmer
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Old-Fashioned Solution: Static Libraries Static libraries (.a archive files)
▪ Concatenate related relocatable object files into a single file with an index (called an archive).
▪ Enhance linker so that it tries to resolve unresolved external references by looking for the symbols in one or more archives.
▪ If an archive member file resolves reference, link it into the executable.
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Creating Static Libraries
atoi.c printf.c
Translator Translator atoi.o printf.o
Archiver (ar)
libc.a
…
random.c
Translator
random.o
unix> ar rs libc.a \
atoi.o printf.o … random.o
C standard library
Archiverallowsincrementalupdates
Recompile function that changes and replace .o file in archive.
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Commonly Used Libraries
libc.a (the C standard library)
▪ 4.6 MB archive of 1496 object files.
▪ I/O, memory allocation, signal handling, string handling, data and time, random numbers, integer math
libm.a (the C math library)
▪ 2 MB archive of 444 object files.
▪ floating point math (sin, cos, tan, log, exp, sqrt, …)
% ar –t /usr/lib/libc.a | sort
…
fork.o
…
fprintf.o fpu_control.o fputc.o freopen.o fscanf.o fseek.o fstab.o
…
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition 34
% ar –t /usr/lib/libm.a | sort
…
e_acos.o
e_acosf.o
e_acosh.o e_acoshf.o e_acoshl.o e_acosl.o e_asin.o e_asinf.o e_asinl.o …
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Linking with Static Libraries
#include
#include “vector.h”
int x[2] = {1, 2};
int y[2] = {3, 4};
int z[2];
int main(int argc, char**
argv)
{
addvec(x, y, z, 2);
printf(“z = [%d %d]\n”,
z[0], z[1]);
return 0; }
main2.c
}
z[i] = x[i] + y[i];
addvec.c
void multvec(int *x, int *y, int *z, int n)
{
int i;
for (i = 0; i < n; i++)
z[i] = x[i] * y[i];
}
multvec.c
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libvector.a
void addvec(int *x, int *y,
int *z, int n) {
int i;
for (i = 0; i < n; i++)
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Linking with Static Libraries
addvec.o multvec.o
main2.c vector.h
Archiver (ar)
Translators (cpp, cc1, as)
Relocatable main2.o object files
libvector.a libc.a
addvec.o printf.o and any other
Static libraries
Linker (ld) prog2c
modules called by printf.o unix> gcc –static –o prog2c \
main2.o -L. -lvector
Fully linked executable object file (861,232 bytes)
“c” for “compile-time”
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Using Static Libraries
Linker’s algorithm for resolving external references:
▪ Scan .o files and .a files in the command line order.
▪ During the scan, keep a list of the current unresolved references.
▪ As each new .o or .a file, obj, is encountered, try to resolve each unresolved reference in the list against the symbols defined in obj.
▪ If any entries in the unresolved list at end of scan, then error.
Problem:
▪ Command line order matters!
▪ Moral: put libraries at the end of the command line.
unix> gcc -static -o prog2c -L. -lvector main2.o main2.o: In function `main’:
main2.c:(.text+0x19): undefined reference to `addvec’ collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
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Modern Solution: Shared Libraries
Static libraries have the following disadvantages:
▪ Duplication in the stored executables (every function needs libc)
▪ Duplication in the running executables
▪ Minor bug fixes of system libraries require each application to explicitly
relink
▪ Rebuild everything with glibc?
▪ https://security.googleblog.com/2016/02/cve-2015-7547-glibc- getaddrinfo-stack.html
Modern solution: shared libraries
▪ Object files that contain code and data that are loaded and linked into
an application dynamically, at either load-time or run-time
▪ Also called: dynamic link libraries, DLLs, .so files
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Shared Libraries (cont.)
Dynamic linking can occur when executable is first loaded and run (load-time linking)
▪ Common case for Linux, handled automatically by the dynamic linker (ld-linux.so)
▪ Standard C library (libc.so) usually dynamically linked
Dynamic linking can also occur after program has begun (run-time linking)
▪ In Linux, this is done by calls to the dlopen() interface ▪ Distributing software
▪ High-performance web servers
▪ Runtime library interpositioning
Shared library routines can be shared by multiple processes ▪ More on this when we learn about virtual memory
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What dynamic libraries are required? .interpsection
▪ Specifies the dynamic linker to use (i.e., ld-linux.so) .dynamicsection
▪ Specifies the names, etc of the dynamic libraries to use
▪ Follow an example of prog
(NEEDED) Shared library: [libm.so.6]
Where are the libraries found? ▪ Use “ldd” to find out:
unix> ldd prog
linux-vdso.so.1 => (0x00007ffcf2998000)
libc.so.6 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x00007f99ad927000) /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 (0x00007f99adcef000)
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Dynamic Library Example
addvec.c multvec.c
unix> gcc –Og –c addvec.c multvec.c -fpic
Translator Translator addvec.o multvec.o
Loader (ld)
libvector.so
unix> gcc -shared -o libvector.so \
addvec.o multvec.o
Dynamic vector library
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Dynamic Linking at Load-time
main2.c vector.h
unix> gcc -shared -o libvector.so \
addvec.c multvec.c -fpic
libc.so
libvector.so
Relocation and symbol table info
unix> gcc –o prog2l \
main2.o ./libvector.so
libc.so
libvector.so
Code and data
Relocatable object file
Partially linked executable object file (8488 bytes)
main2.o
Linker (ld) prog2l
Fully linked
Dynamic linker (ld-linux.so)
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executable
in memory
Translators (cpp, cc1, as)
Loader (execve)
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Dynamic Linking at Run-time
#include
int y[2] = {3, 4};
int z[2];
int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
void *handle;
void (*addvec)(int *, int *, int *, int); char *error;
/* Dynamically load the shared library that contains addvec() */
handle = dlopen(“./libvector.so”, RTLD_LAZY); if (!handle) {
fprintf(stderr, “%s\n”, dlerror());
exit(1); }
. . .
dll.c
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Dynamic Linking at Run-time (cont’d)
…
/* Get a pointer to the addvec() function we just loaded */
addvec = dlsym(handle, “addvec”);
if ((error = dlerror()) != NULL) {
fprintf(stderr, “%s\n”, error);
exit(1); }
/* Now we can call addvec() just like any other function */
addvec(x, y, z, 2);
printf(“z = [%d %d]\n”, z[0], z[1]);
/* Unload the shared library */
if (dlclose(handle) < 0) {
fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", dlerror());
exit(1);
}
return 0; }
dll.c
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Dynamic Linking at Run-time
dll.c vector.h
unix> gcc -shared -o libvector.so \
addvec.c multvec.c -fpic
Translators (cpp, cc1, as)
prog2r
dll.o -ldl
libc.so
Code and data
libc.so
libvector.so
Relocatable object file
dll.o
Relocation and symbol table info
Linker (ld)
unix> gcc -rdynamic –o prog2r \
Partially linked executable object file (8784 bytes)
Fully linked executable in memory
Loader (execve)
Dynamic linker (ld-linux.so)
Call to dynamic linker via dlopen
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Linking Summary
Linking is a technique that allows programs to be constructed from multiple object files
Linking can happen at different times in a program’s lifetime:
▪ Compile time (when a program is compiled)
▪ Load time (when a program is loaded into memory) ▪ Run time (while a program is executing)
Understanding linking can help you avoid nasty errors and make you a better programmer
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Today
Linking
Case study: Library interpositioning
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Case Study: Library Interpositioning Documented in Section 7.13 of book
Library interpositioning: powerful linking technique that allows programmers to intercept calls to arbitrary functions
Interpositioning can occur at:
▪ Compile time: When the source code is compiled
▪ Link time: When the relocatable object files are statically linked to form an executable object file
▪ Load/run time: When an executable object file is loaded into memory, dynamically linked, and then executed.
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Some Interpositioning Applications
Security
▪ Confinement (sandboxing)
▪ Behind the scenes encryption
Debugging
▪ In 2014, two Facebook engineers debugged a treacherous 1-year
old bug in their iPhone app using interpositioning
▪ Code in the SPDY networking stack was writing to the wrong location
▪ Solved by intercepting calls to Posix write functions (write, writev, pwrite)
Source: Facebook engineering blog post at:
https://code.facebook.com/posts/313033472212144/debugging-file-corruption-on-ios/
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition 49
Carnegie Mellon
Some Interpositioning Applications
Monitoring and Profiling
▪ Count number of calls to functions
▪ Characterize call sites and arguments to functions ▪ Malloc tracing
▪ Detecting memory leaks
▪ Generating address traces
Error Checking
▪ C Programming Lab used customized versions of malloc/free to do
careful error checking
▪ Other labs (malloc, shell, proxy) also use interpositioning to enhance checking capabilities
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition 50
Carnegie Mellon
Example program
#include
#include
#include
int main(int argc,
char *argv[])
{
int i;
for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) { void *p =
malloc(atoi(argv[i]));
free(p);
}
return(0); }
int.c
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition
51
Goal: trace the addresses and sizes of the allocated and freed blocks, without breaking the program, and without modifying the source code.
Three solutions: interpose on the library malloc and free functions at compile time, link time, and load/run time.
Carnegie Mellon
Compile-time Interpositioning
#ifdef COMPILETIME #include
/* malloc wrapper function */
void *mymalloc(size_t size)
{
void *ptr = malloc(size); printf(“malloc(%d)=%p\n”, (int)size, ptr); return ptr;
}
/* free wrapper function */
void myfree(void *ptr)
{
free(ptr);
printf(“free(%p)\n”, ptr);
}
#endif
mymalloc.c
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition 52
Carnegie Mellon
Compile-time Interpositioning
#define malloc(size) mymalloc(size) #define free(ptr) myfree(ptr)
void *mymalloc(size_t size);
void myfree(void *ptr);
malloc.h
linux> make intc
gcc -Wall -DCOMPILETIME -c mymalloc.c gcc -Wall -I. -o intc int.c mymalloc.o linux> make runc
./intc 10 100 1000 malloc(10)=0x1ba7010
free(0x1ba7010) malloc(100)=0x1ba7030 free(0x1ba7030) malloc(1000)=0x1ba70a0 free(0x1ba70a0) linux>
Search for
Search for
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition 53
Carnegie Mellon
Link-time Interpositioning
#ifdef LINKTIME
#include
void *__real_malloc(size_t size); void __real_free(void *ptr);
/* malloc wrapper function */
void *__wrap_malloc(size_t size)
{
void *ptr = __real_malloc(size); /* Call libc malloc */ printf(“malloc(%d) = %p\n”, (int)size, ptr);
return ptr;
}
/* free wrapper function */
void __wrap_free(void *ptr)
{
__real_free(ptr); /* Call libc free */
printf(“free(%p)\n”, ptr);
}
#endif
mymalloc.c
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition
54
Carnegie Mellon
Link-time Interpositioning
The “-Wl” flag passes argument to linker, replacing each comma with a space.
The “–wrap,malloc ” arg instructs linker to resolve references in a special way:
▪ Refs to malloc should be resolved as __wrap_malloc
▪ Refs to __real_malloc should be resolved as malloc
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition 55
linux> make intl
gcc -Wall -DLINKTIME -c mymalloc.c
gcc -Wall -c int.c
gcc -Wall -Wl,–wrap,malloc -Wl,–wrap,free -o intl \
int.o mymalloc.o
linux> make runl
./intl 10 100 1000 malloc(10) = 0x91a010 free(0x91a010)
. ..
Search for
#ifdef RUNTIME #define _GNU_SOURCE #include
void *malloc(size_t size)
{
}
mymalloc.c
Observe that DON’T have
#include
void *(*mallocp)(size_t size);
char *error;
mallocp = dlsym(RTLD_NEXT, “malloc”); /* Get addr of libc malloc */ if ((error = dlerror()) != NULL) {
fputs(error, stderr);
exit(1); }
char *ptr = mallocp(size); /* Call libc malloc */ printf(“malloc(%d) = %p\n”, (int)size, ptr); return ptr;
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition 56
Load/Run-time
Interpositioning
Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie Mellon
Load/Run-time Interpositioning
/* free wrapper function */
void free(void *ptr) {
void (*freep)(void *) = NULL;
char *error;
if (!ptr)
return;
freep = dlsym(RTLD_NEXT, “free”); /* Get address of libc free */ if ((error = dlerror()) != NULL) {
fputs(error, stderr);
exit(1); }
freep(ptr); /* Call libc free */
printf(“free(%p)\n”, ptr);
}
#endif
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition
57
mymalloc.c
Carnegie Mellon
Load/Run-time Interpositioning
The LD_PRELOAD environment variable tells the dynamic linker to resolve unresolved refs (e.g., to malloc)by looking in mymalloc.so first.
Type into (some) shells as:
env LD_PRELOAD=./mymalloc.so ./intr 10 100 1000)
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition 58
linux> make intr
gcc -Wall -DRUNTIME -shared -fpic -o mymalloc.so mymalloc.c -ldl gcc -Wall -o intr int.c
linux> make runr
(LD_PRELOAD=”./mymalloc.so” ./intr 10 100 1000)
malloc(10) = 0x91a010 free(0x91a010)
. ..
linux>
Search for
Carnegie Mellon
Interpositioning Recap Compile Time
▪ Apparent calls to malloc/free get macro-expanded into calls to mymalloc/myfree
▪ Simple approach. Must have access to source & recompile
Link Time
▪ Use linker trick to have special name resolutions
▪ malloc →__wrap_malloc ▪ __real_malloc→malloc
Load/Run Time
▪ Implement custom version of malloc/free that use dynamic
linking to load library malloc/free under different names
▪ Can use with ANY dynamically linked binary
env LD_PRELOAD=./mymalloc.so gcc –c int.c)
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition 59
Carnegie Mellon
Linking Recap
Usually: Just happens, no big deal
Sometimes: Strange errors
▪ Bad symbol resolution
▪ Ordering dependence of linked .o, .a, and .so files
For power users:
▪ Interpositioning to trace programs with & without source
Bryant and O’Hallaron, Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition 60